Audible alarm for coolers for internal-combustion motors



Jami. 16, 1923.

- E. L. WILKISSON. AUDIBLE ALARM FOR COOLERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTORS.

Fl LED MAY 17, 1922 ZZZ 2% Patented Jan. 16, 11923.

p W m a EDWARD L. WILKISSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEl/V YORK.

Application filed May 17,

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. d rnnrssoiv, a citizen of the United States, and a resident or the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Audible Alarms for Coolers for internal- Combustion Motors, of which the following is a specification.

"While applicable to the cooling systems of internal combustion engines generally, my improvements are designed more especially for use in conjunction with radiators, so called, with which automobile motors are equipped for the purpose of reducing the temperature, incidental to operation, by means of a circulatory water vehicle in a manner well known in the art,-and as set forth in my concurrent applications Serial No. 505,861, filed October 6, 1921, and Serial No. D576, for Design, filed February 6, 1922,my object being to afford a sure and effective alarm device which will audibly and automatically announce an increase in temperature of the cooling liquid vehicle sufficient to generate steam pressure within said radiator; my present invention consisting in the specific combination and arrangement of parts described and claimed, and distinctive features being the means employed for condensing the steam passing through the sounding device, and for disposing of the water of condensation, substantially in the manner hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings 1 show a practical applica i n of my improved construction of audible alarm whistle as positioned on the screw cap usually provided for the closure of the filling neck of an auto-- mobile radiator, although my steam-announcing device may be otherwise positioned to communicate ith the interior of the radiator above the normal water level there in with like result, and without departing from the spirit and intent of my invention in this respect. which contemplates broadly any combination and arrangement of my specific construction of steam sounding device with a radiator in such manner as to utilize steam pressure generated within the radiator to operate an alarm, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set :torth.

With this understanding,

Fig. 1, represents a sectional elevation of 1922. Serial No. 581,577.

tiie extreme upper portion of on automobile radiator, its filling neck, and closure cap, the latter having my audible alarm mounted thereon.

Fig. 2, is an elevation, full size, of the alarm device, and the cap on which mounted, detached from, the radiator neck;

Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 33, Fig. l, but on a larger scale;

Fig. 4%, is an elevation oi the dome of my sounding device, detached from base or cup section;

Fig. 5, is a view of the inner and therem";

Fig. 6, is a sectional elevation the nut tube by means of which the cup section of my device is secured to the radiator cap;

Fig. 7, is a sectional detail illustra a modification in the method of securing my reticulated condensing screen in position within the alarm device.

In 1, of the drawing represents the upper medial portion of the tank of an automobile radiator. foru'iezl with the usual cylindrical filling uecl: l t, and provided with the customary overflow pipe O.

The closure cap K, for the necl: may be of any desired external configuratimi. and is formed with a centralopeningj 70, for the accommodation of the stem 0, oi. the cup section C, of the sounding device, stem 0, being externally screw threaded for engagement with the corresponding internally screw-threaded upper portion at the nut tube l l,which letter also :iuuctions as a duct to deliver stem, if present in the neck R, to the axial outlet c, o? the cup section stem 0, will be understood by re erence more particulz-i-rly to l! l. of the drawings. The stem 0, of the cup in is termed section r with an annular shoulder c". tor cmitactual engagement with the upper external surf or the radiator can K: and I i'zgy interposed between 1ll1-. radiator cap and the i nut tube N to insure t m closureof the said cell can K.

The inlet duct 0, extends thr ugh the. stem (7, of the cup section (I, and a. souwli 1' 1 element S. consisting oi a tube containing a reed, a whistle, or equivalent soundwroduo ing device, is mounted in the upper portion of said stem 0, and its duct 0, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that steam. escaping there through fromthe radiator neck R, if of sullicient pressure, will give audible notice of the fact.

The upper portion of the sounding element S, protrudes upward into the cup section C, of the device, and the latter is provided with a hood or dome D, formed with apertures (Z, d, for the transmission of air vibrations resultant from the actuation of the sounding element S. As it is not desirable, however, to allow steam to escape into the atmosphere through the dome apertures d, visually, I effect the condensation of steam passing through the sounding element S, by means of a reticulated condensing screen a, of woven wire, perforated sheet metal, or any equivalent construction that will liquie'fy the steam thus emanating from the sounding element without materially impeding the sound vibrations.

My reticulated condensing screen may be soldered or otherwise directly attached to the lower edge of the hood or dome D, to form a component part thereof, as in Figs. 1, 3, 4: and 5, being formed with a central opening a, for the protrusion therethrough of the upper portion of the sounding element S, if necessary, as in Fig. 1, or it may consist of a separate and separable disc, the peripheral edges of which are confined between the lowerannular edge of the hood or dome D, and an internal annular shoulder 0, formed for the purpose in the cup section or base C, of the device, as shown in the modification illustrated in Fig. 7, connection between the dome D, and cup section C, being preferably by screw threads as indicated in said Fig. 7 and in Fig. l, of the drawings.

The cup section C, is provided with a drain outlet 0*, for the escape of the water of condensation, which drips therethrough onto the radiator cap K, and is quickly evaporated, especially when the car is in motion.

The nut tube is preferably, although not necessarily, formed with lateral inlet port holes a, a, to facilitate the delivery of steam to the outlet duct 0; and its lower portion may be knurled externally as at a, to aid manipulation.

It will be seen that my audible alarm device (aside from my reticulated condensing screen, which may or may not be integrally attached to the dome as hereinbefore set forth) consists essentially of three component parts, all screw connected and readily attachable or detachable the one from the other, and from the radiator cup, which latter I design to furnish commercially as a mount for the other component parts named, i. e., the cup section or base (7. the nut tube N, and the dome D,-so that the whole contrivance can be readily taken apart and re assembled for cleaning purposes, etc., while practically constituting only a single unitary structure in so far as use is concerned.

Furthermore the construction is simple and inexpensive, and not liable to get out of order or deteriorate under ordinary conditions of use, there being no mechanically operative parts in the ordinary sense of the term.

The temperature of the water used as a circulatory vehicle for the elemination of excess of heat in the motor may reach as high as 170 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit with eliiciency, so that the boiling point of water (212) is proximated. Hence, defective pump action, or impediment of circulation from any cause, or excess of heat from carbonization, or retarded sparking and consequent slow combustion in the motor, or other cause, soon results in the generation of steam within the radiator casing, and overheating, with possible injury to both radiator and motor, so that positive and timely warning of such danger is most desirable in order that the same may be promptly averted.

I am aware that the state of the art discloses means for visually indicating the pres ence oi. steam in an auto-radiator, but my alarm is primarily and essentially an audible one, the presence of steam being indi cated by sound in such manner as to be ef- 'fective, where a purely visual sign might fail to draw attention to the danger involved.

Hence, while I do not seek to cover the utilization of steam pressure within the radiator as a means of warning in the abstract, what 1 do claim, and seek to cover by Letters Patent is 1. An alarm of the character designated, comprising an encased sounding element communicating above the normal water level with the casing of a radiator forming part of a circulatory cooling system of an inter nal combustion engine, and a reticulated steam condensing screen arranged to intercept steam emanating from said sounding elemjent, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. An alarm 01"? the character designated, comprising, in combination with. a radiator cap, a drainable cup or base section, a nut tube securing said cup section to the radiator cap, a. sounding element mounted in said cup section, a dome section mounted on said cup section, and a reticulated steam condensing screen positioned in said cup section and between it and the dome section, for the purpose and substantially in the manner set forth.

EDlVARD L. NILKISSON.

Witnesses LILLIA ll lm'rr CAR ER, Gino. WM. Mm'r'r. 

